Help
by MsLanna
Summary: Just a bit of Karrde/Shada fluff with some Mara and Ghent thrown in. Probably AU, but a girl can hope... One Shot.


Help

Two women were walking through the corridor arguing.

"This is ridiculous!" The black haired foamed at her red haired companion. "You really should know better than that!"

"Oh, come on, Shada, it's not going to hurt anybody."

"Maybe not, Mara, but who will get something out of it?" the former Mistryl Shadow Guard wondered. "And if it is really as innocent as you want me to believe, why don't you do it yourself?"

"I am a married woman, I am not credible," Mara replied. "Believe me, you will like him, he's a nice guy, maybe a bit shy."

"And you chose me for the job exactly why?" Shada rolled her eyes.

"You were a Mistryl Shadow Guard, you can handle every situation," Mara almost sniggered.

"Cut it Jade," Shada growled back. "Or I will argue with your past and that makes you a lot more apt. I have no time for such games. Karrde -"

"He will understand. Trust me, Shada." Mara urged her companion on. "And it's just this once. If you don't like him, you never have to talk to him again and I won't say a word. Promise."

Shada sighed. "That will be difficult after tonight, won't it? After all, I will still be second in charge of the organisation."

"And he will understand. I know him well, Shada." Mara came to a halt in front of a door. "And I know you like him, I can feel it in the Force."

"The Force," snorted Shada. "It is the answer to everything, isn't it? Have you felt his likes before setting this up, too."

"You can bet." Mara smiled sweetly. "I have no clue why you never realised that." She opened the door and shoved her companion into the room.

* * *

This was a most embarrassing situation. Even all alone in the appointed room, Ghent felt very out of place. But there was little he could do. If only Karrde had given him an advance warning, he might have dressed in something more - clean. His work outfit was good enough for a security meeting, but the dimmed lights, candles and other things suggest that this was anything but a security meeting.

He took another piece of chocolate and popped it into his mouth absentmindedly. Bits of dead flowers were scattered around, which was probably very romantic. He made a mental note to use that trick, in case he ever got to set up some clandestine meeting himself. His eyes wandered to the door, around the room and came to rest ion the flimsy Karrde had given him. Last minute instructions he had said. Ghent wondered if he had read them.

_'I cannot wait to meet you,'_ it said. _'I like you for a long time already, but somehow the times never seemed right to do something about it. Just give me a chance, will you?' _

The hacker sighed. It was his part to be the socially incompatible idiot; he would never have expected it form any of the women in the organisation. He swallowed. What if it was not one of the women? He looked at the message again. The writing was inconclusive, neither feminine nor masculine. Ghent wondered if it would be wiser to sneak away while he could. Unthinking he took another of the chocolates, scanning the room for exits.

There were none apart of the door. He had just decided to leg it, when the door slip open. A woman was pushed in and when she turned to he could see her face, Ghent turned very pale.

"What- ?" she said looking at him aghast.

"Well, I don't know what to say." Ghent stood up. "That is a real surprise."

"Who are you telling?" Shada looked around warily. "Did you arrange this - ambience?"

"No, didn't you?" Ghent offered his superior a seat before slumping down himself and taking another chocolate.

"Am I crazy?" Shada snapped. "Sorry, I am just -, wait? You didn't plan this?"

Ghent shook his head. "Though I am surprised you didn't either, after the letter I got." He handed her the piece of flimsy.

Shada red the few lines, feeling her anger rising up. "Who dared?" She almost shouted.

Ghent shrugged. "I thought I was going to an urgent security meeting. Karrde couldn't make it so he sent me." He looked at the seething Shada. "Maybe it would have been him who you were to meet?"

Personally, he liked the idea a lot. It would get him out of the whole mess and Karrde could well fend for himself. An angry Mistryl guard, no matter how former, was not his idea of a date.

"Mara!" It was little more than a hiss. "She set this all up. If I get my fingers on her-"

"Then what?" Ghent put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure it was her?"

Shada indicated the room. "Of course. Most people would have tried a little subtlety in their approach. But roses, candles and chocolates?"

"There's some sparkling wine," Ghent added helpfully, lifting the bottle into her view.

"Oh no."

* * *

Mara was rather satisfied with herself. She had felt the attraction between Karrde and Shada for a long time now, but neither seemed inclined to do anything about it. This little nudge would be all that was necessary. Her good mood evaporated the second she saw Karrde turn around the corner right in front of her.

"Why hello Mara;" he grinned. "What are you doing here? Business?"

"Well," her thoughts raced. "Actually, yes, but I was looking for you because - I don't know how to explain it. Why don't you just come along?"

Shrugging Karrde fell into step beside her. "Is it about that security meeting? Don't worry I have it covered."

Before Mara could answer, his pad beeped. Karrde threw an apologising glance at Mara before reading the message. _Play along. _He frowned.

"Something important?" She wanted to know. "Will you have to leave?"

"Ah, nothing," Karrde shook his head. "Just a report, it can wait. So what is this almost business of yours, you really have me intrigued."

"I'm not sure what to say," Mara replied. Luckily the door towards her failed set up was already in sight. "It is much easier to show." She punched a code into the pad next to the frame and the doors slid open.

The room was still lit dimly, more so, since somebody seemed to have put out all the candles. In the gloom little could be seen; Impatiently Mara turned on the light.

Hey!" Shada called put out. She shaded her eyes wit one hand, holding a glass of sparkling wine in the other. "What do you think you're doing, Jade?"

"Yeah, cut it, Jade," Ghent chimed in and returned to feeding Jada with a piece of chocolate. She lay with her head in his lap and looked rather happy.

Mara reached out with the Force, but both seemed genuinely happy.

"You know," Shada said munching, "you were right. That was a really good idea." The hand with which she had been shading her eyes slowly dropped again, coming to rest around Ghent's neck. "I really don't know why I never saw this."

Before Mara could reply, Karrde stepped into the room angrily. "Shada!" he bellowed. "I thought we had an understanding?"

"Well, yes," the woman sat up. "But as Mara said, Ghenty here was just to shy to admit his crush on me." She batted her eyes at the hacker who softly pinched her chin. "I didn't think that he, well, you get the picture, Karrde."

Obviously, it was not a picture he liked. "Ghent, get out, you're fired!" He pointed to the door.

"But-," Mara began.

"No, it's alright," Shada said. "I'll just get my stuff and we'll leave."

"You don't, you have a contract!" Karrde grabbed Shada by the arm when she tried to sneak past him. "I think there is something we need to talk about first."

Suddenly both looked at Mara. "Is there something you want to tell us?"

"I," Mara reached out with the Force, getting no anger from either of the two, and what was obviously amusement. "You're just pulling my leg!" she exclaimed relieved. "You knew all along," she added towards Karrde.

"Not all along," he replied. "I really believed it was something about security, so I handed the job down to Ghent he I couldn't go myself. Of course, the two did inform me of their - situation."

"It is nice of you to care, Mara," Shada said suddenly smiling, "but in this respect, neither Talon nor I need any help."

The man took her hand grinning. "She's got that one right. Just remember how it looks when the head of an organisation is involved with his second in command," he added shaking his head at Mara.

So that was what she had felt. Mara couldn't believe how off she had been. As if to prove it to her again, Karrde leaned towards Shada. He cupped her face in one hand, pulling her face softly towards his. She closed her eyes as their lips met, her hands wandering up his back. Neither of the two noticed as Mara slunk out and closed the door behind her.


End file.
